Free agent QB Josh Johnson will visit the Redskins on Wednesday. It will be the first visit for one of the better backups left on the market. If the Redskins sign Johnson, it will mean the end of John Beck's time in Washington.

The 49ers and Redskins have expressed interest in free agent QB Josh Johnson.

SI.com's Peter King believes the 49ers could sign free agent Josh Johnson as a one-year "bridge" to Colin Kaepernick if they fail to sign free agents Peyton Manning and Alex Smith. The Bucs' backup the past three seasons, Johnson played for Niners coach Jim Harbaugh at the University of San Diego. Johnson has not posted good numbers in the NFL, completing 96-of-177 passes for 1,042 yards, five touchdowns and 10 interceptions, but his familiarity with Harbaugh would certainly make him an option for the 49ers. Johnson has not been formally connected to any teams since the beginning of free agency.

CSN Bay Area's Matt Maicco expects the 49ers to make a run at free agent QB Josh Johnson if Alex Smith remains unsigned when the market opens on March 13. Smith and the 49ers appear to be in a contract stalemate, with Smith seeking a five-year deal and the club only offering three. Maiocco suggests Johnson as a placeholder in front of 2011 second-round pick Colin Kaepernick. Both young quarterbacks are highly athletic, potentially making for a smooth transition if Johnson held the reigns for a bit before ceding way to Kaepernick.

The Denver Post suggests Chad Henne and Josh Johnson as free agents quarterbacks most likely to be brought in as "competition" for Tim Tebow. The Post's Mike Klis isn't citing sources, so this appears to be more of a guessing game than a report. Johnson makes sense in the Tim Tebow option offense, though Henne is a better fit if the coaching staff opts against molding the offense to Tebow's game. Klis rounds out the top five Broncos fits with Jason Campbell, Shaun Hill, and David Garrard.

CSN Bay Area's Matt Maiocco considers free agent Josh Johnson a "strong possibility" for the 49ers to pursue on the open market. Niners coach Jim Harbaugh has publicly referred to Johnson as a "beloved son" after coaching him in college. Harbaugh mentored Johnson so well that he leaped from non-scholarship D-IAA to the NFL, a rare accomplishment. Johnson, who turns 26 in May, would be an athletic backup behind Alex Smith.

Josh Johnson suffered a subluxed shoulder during Sunday's loss to Carolina. A subluxation is a temporary dislocation of the joint. Johnson missed one snap, taken by usual third-stringer Rudy Carpenter, but returned to finish out the contest. Johnson kept on running, showing bravery in and outside the pocket. He'll get another start in Week 14 if Josh Freeman (shoulder) can't play.

Starting in place of Josh Freeman (shoulder), Bucs QB Josh Johnson completed 16-of-27 passes for 229 yards, a touchdown, and an interception as Tampa Bay fell to Carolina 38-19 in Week 13. He also led the Bucs in rushing, racking up 45 yards on five scrambles. Johnson has incredible speed when he gets an opening and he flashed with some big-time downfield throws to Arrelious Benn, Mike Williams, and Dezmon Briscoe. He could probably be a top-15 fantasy quarterback if permitted to start for a full season. Freeman's injury is not known to be significant, however, so Johnson may not be under center for Week 14 against the Jaguars.

Josh Johnson handled the Bucs' first-team reps all this week, and coach Raheem Morris characterized Johnson's practice performance as "spectacular" on Friday. "Josh Johnson had a spectacular week of practice," Morris said. "... When you have a week like this and he takes all the reps, you can see how prepared he really is and how much he really wants it and how much he's been paying attention." Josh Freeman (shoulder, questionable) will be a game-time decision for Sunday's matchup with Carolina. During the preseason, the speedy Johnson rushed nine times for 93 yards but completed just 17-of-39 passes (43.6%) for 272 yards, a touchdown, and an interception.

CSN Bay Area's Matt Maiocco expects the 49ers to pursue Bucs backup QB Josh Johnson this offseason. Johnson, set to hit the open market this winter, played for 49ers' HC Jim Harbaugh at the University of San Diego. Harbaugh called Johnson "the beloved son" during a radio interview last week. A three-year veteran, Johnson has completed 78-of-144 passes for 803 yards, four touchdowns and eight interceptions in parts of 19 career games, adding 197 yards on only 28 carries the ground.